The invention relates to an apparatus assembly of an electrotechnical apparatus
(a) the housing wall of which consists of plate-shaped elements, PA1 (b) at least part of the plate-shaped elements being synthetic plastic plates, PA1 (c) which are metal-coated on one side, PA1 (d) the metal-coated surfaces being interconnected electrically conductively. PA1 (e) one or several of the metal-coated synthetic plastic plates are designed as printed circuit boards in such a manner that they are provided with electrical and/or mechanical elements on the side which is not metal-coated and, as the case may be, provided with strip conductors, PA1 (f) and plate-shaped elements of metal, if present, are electrically conductively connected to the metal-coated surface of the synthetic plastic plates.
Housings for electrotechnical apparatus are known in numerous forms. In the following, electrotechnical apparatus designate apparatus which are composed of mechanical, electromechanical and/or electronical elements. Among other things, the housings serve for protection of the elements arranged in the housing against external influences. The extrenal influences can be mechanical effects and also atmospheric influences or similar external influences. If the housing is made of metal, it can also protect the elements arranged in the housing against influences of electrical or electromagentic fields (EMV-protection, high-voltage protection and the like). Elements can be arranged on the inner walls of the housing or on plates or walls arranged within the housing, which elements serve for accommodation and guiding of printed circuit boards or boards, on which mechanical, electrical, electromechanical or electronical elements are arranged. In the housings printed circuit boards or boards can be arranged, which are provided with card plugs and are located one below the other for connection of the individual printed circuit boards or cards. The individual elements can be arranged on the printed circuit boards or cards by means of the SMD-technique. Apertures can be provided in the outer walls of the housing, which apertures serve for accommodation of appartus plugs and/or test plugs. The housing walls can consist of interconnected plate-shaped elements. Thereby, the size and shape of the housing can easily be adapted to the respective requirements and the manufacturing costs are considerably reduced with small and medium piece numbers. By the use of flexible connections in the SMD-technique it is no longer necessary to use cable trees for connection of individual assemblies, which cable trees are costly in manufacturing, the layout of which requires apertures and supports and with which connection errors cannot always be avoided. Without large efforts and expensive preparations, it is possible to test individual assemblies or a plurality of assemblies, without total assembly of the apparatus being required. This results in reduction of the working time required for assembling the apparatus and of the numbers of elements, and in a reduction of the time for checking. Nevertheless, the individual elements and assemblies remain easily available.
From DE-OS 34 17 451 a cuboid push-in housing for electronical apparatus is known, into which housing insert card type modular push-in units and the like can be inserted, the cover plate, the bottom plate, the side plates and bars of which housing consist of an integral moulded synthetic plastic part, the housing being provided with an electrically conductive or ferromagnetic layer on the inside and/or outside. This coating is preferably provided on all sides. However, with this housing it is not provided to design the housing wall itself as printed circuit boards. From U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,459 a housing is known, the outer surfaces of which can be metal-coated, if required. Within the housing printed circuit boards are arranged, which can be mechanically connected to the housing walls. The interconnection of the printed circuit boards and the lead-out conductors thereof are effected by a wiring arranged centrally in the housing.
The component assembly of printed circuit boards by means of the SMD-technique using adhesive connections is known from Miszak Jerzy "Der Einsatz von Klebstoffen in Mikroelektronik, Mikrotechnik und Telekommunikation", Technische Rundschau, 20/86, p. 50-53, and the connection of a flex band to a printed circuit board is known from DE-OS 35 00 411.
Furthermore, from DE-OS 39 28 461 an assembly support having two metallic side walls is known, between which, at the four edges thereof, profile bars of metal extend, which are attached to the side walls and carry guiding supports, which are designated for accommodation of assemblies.
From DE-PS 32 11 758 a housing for the electrical communication technology is known, which has a sheet metal frame of the housing and the individual mutually screened plug-in units of which consist of boat-shaped sheet metal elements.